Born of Midnight
by TheWalkingSilence
Summary: Sam has finally gotten up the nerve to tell Danny how she feels. But things just keep getting in the way. Like the new girl, Sasha Williams. And Clockwork. And this ancient prophecy that Sam apparently unlocked somehow. Now Amity Park is on the brink of total annihilation and voicing her love for Danny is suddenly the least of Sam's problems. DxS No PP. Multi-chapter fic
1. Prologue

**Prologue: Begin**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom.**

The lab that resided in the basement of Fenton Works was mostly silent that evening. The only sounds permeating the space were the occasional chatter of some rodent and the slight clatter that the glass beakers made when they hit together. All was dark and everything was still. A slight gust blew through the room, causing some of the diagrams on the walls to flutter.

The only source of light came from the Ecto-Filtrator, located in the very far left corner of the room. It cast an eerie glow on the objects closest to it and shrouded everything else in a black mystery. The dial moved slowly from green to yellow. Next it would move into the red region and it would then be time to change the battery, lest the whole home explode.

The wind gave nothing away. It moved with very little force, hardly noticeable at all unless you looked for it. It licked at the diagrams and beakers and rattled the high-tech ghost equipment. It did nothing to penetrate the hard steel door of the Ghost Portal, though, and made no effort to slip through the cracks and enter the Ghost Zone.

It was then that the noise came; softly at first, like a dull hum. Slowly it rose on volume and pitch, growing so loud that the glass beakers shattered and fell to the floor in little glass shards. The calm was shattered as the wind, at first so docile, picked up speed. It reached a velocity to violent that the tables and chairs began to shake. A few swivel chairs began skating across the room on their own accord and others toppled over, creating a loud crash that reverberated around the room.

Tabled fell and all of the precious lab equipment went with them. Hundreds of dollars in equipment caved in with the tables and crashed to the floor. Valuable pieces of plastic and computer technology skirted across the ground, showering the already glassy floor with more sharp materials.

Still the pitch grew. Soon, it was so loud that the walls began to shake and rumble. A large crack traveled through the floor, opening up a crevice so deep that you couldn't see the bottom. What hadn't fallen yet soon began to and the ceiling came with it. Large shards of rock and plaster hit the ground with so much force that the very foundation of the house began to falter. The large dome on top of the home fell with a mighty roar, crushing anything that hadn't been already.

From not so far away, then Fentons, along with a Foley and a Manson, watched with horror-stricken faces as the place that they'd all held dear for so long crumbled to the ground. One of them raced forward, no one could tell who in all the commotion, and dived into the rubble, searching for something that remained unknown.

The last image anyone saw of that person was his terrified eyes and the whole house came down on him. His blood spilled and lined the sidewalk, flowing to the road and pooling at their feet. No one screamed and no one cried.

They'd already seen it coming.

Clockwork, Master of All Time, watched as this image flittered across his screens and then vanished just as quickly as it had appeared. His ever-changing face remained stoic and calculating. Such a vision was no surprise, as he knew what the future held and had expected it for some time.

The silence that followed afterwards was cold and hollow. None of the Observers said a thing, and neither did Clockwork. The room was full with the dread and despair that held the hearts of the people in it. While they were typically impassionate creatures, the Observers looked on with something akin to sorrow.

It was minutes, maybe hours before anyone spoke.

"So, this is it." One Observer stated. There was no need for question. If it had shown up in Clockwork's mirror, than it would most surely come to be true.

The spirit, now in the form of a baby, nodded his head. "Yes, I'm afraid so."

There was more silence, until…

"Can this future not be changed?" One of the other Observers asked. "Is there no other option?"

Clockwork flickered into a man. His unlined face was grim. "Yes, but only one way."

The lead Observer seemed to think this over. He was quiet for several minutes, his hands wringing at his sides. As an Observer he knew. He knew the laws that he was meant to live by, and, strict as they may be, they had to be followed. But there was clearly not much harm in asking. It wasn't as if the child would ever find out.

"How?"

His two counterparts turned to face him, but the lead Observer gave away no emotion. His one eye trained on the baby Clockwork as he waved his staff through the air.

There was absolute reverent silence as the Master of All Time spoke. "He must first lose what he cares about the most." The image in the mirror changed to that of a girl. She was beautiful with large amethyst eyes and porcelain skin. Then she smiled and her whole face brightened.

Clockwork continued on as if nothing had changed. "He must first lose…Sam Manson."

**~DP~DP~DP~**

_**So, hello everyone!**_

_**This was originally a story that I started under another account as a younger person. Now that I've grown, I was revisiting this story and thought 'hey, why not fix it up and repost it?' Thus, this was born!**_

_**I was originally posted under the pen name RainyDaysAndBlueJays. I promise that was me. You can even email that account or PM it and I'll respond that it was me. Since I've already posted a bunch of this story, it is quite a few chapters in. That means that updates will be at least once a week unless I generate tons of interest. Then I will post more.**_

_**I hope you all like this idea. It's very fleshed out and the story is partway written already. So if you like this, please review! If I get six people saying they want more, I'll post the first official chapter tomorrow!  
**_


	2. Sturdy

**Chapter 1: Sturdy**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom.**

"I'm trying to tell you man, it's not a good idea." Tucker Foley, resident techno-geek of Casper High, was roughly shoving his books into his locker, looking desperately from the busy hallway to his friend who stood beside him, stubbornly crossing his arms.

The halls were abuzz that morning. Students flocked from the classrooms and the main entrance, joining their specific cliques and chatting about the latest gossip. Teachers scanned the halls, each with a watchful eye, trying desperately to locate some misbehaving student so they'd have something to do before class started. The sound of trumpets and drums reverberated from down the hall, no doubt that the band was taking an early practice for the big game tomorrow.

Danny Fenton, also known as Danny Phantom, didn't seem to take any notice of this, just like he missed the hateful eyes that his best friend was sending his way. He was lost in the action of balancing his books in one hand and his drink can in the other. His mouth was open just a bit, his tongue grazing his lip in concentration.

"And what's not so good about it?" The boy asked, jumping and wincing as he lost the grip on his books and they went tumbling to the floor with a loud crash. Many students saw this, pointed, and began to laugh. Danny turned slightly red.

Tucker ignored the laughter and pointing, taking the needed books into his arms and slamming his locker door closed. "More like what's so wrong about it. It's a stupid idea, Danny, and if Sam was here, she'd agree."

Danny flashed a glare at his friend before bending down and gathering his books back into his hands, watching carefully to make sure that he didn't spill his soda. "No, she wouldn't, Tuck. She'd side with me."

Tucker glared right back and the two started down the hall and to their first period class, English II with Mr. Lancer. "What makes you think that?"

"She always does." Danny said matter-of-factly, slipping in between two groups of freshmen. "And besides, I don't see the problem in me taking just a little solo detour around the Ghost Zone this afternoon while you two have detention."

The techno-geek halted suddenly, turning to face his friend. "Okay, that detention was your fault and you know it. We can't all just phase through the floor like you, just like we can't all fly around the city and shoot laser beams out of our eyes!"

"I can't shoot laser beams out of my eyes." Danny said confusedly.

Tucker scowled. "So not the point, man." He took a deep breath and resumed his pace. "I'm just saying that it's your fault we're stuck after school in detention with Mr. Lancer and you aren't. And it's really not a good idea for you to go into the Ghost Zone all alone with no way of contacting us."

Danny huffed and turned into the halfway crowded classroom. Most of the students were still out in the halls, roaming around and talking to their friends. "I wouldn't be alone." Then he frowned. "Well, technically I would, but if you think about all those allies I have in the Ghost Zone, it's not so bad."

"What's not so bad?" Spoke a melancholy voice from behind them.

Both boys turned to see Samantha Manson, Goth extraordinaire. She was in her usual outfit, plaid skirt and black belly shirt. Her hair was pulled up and her make-up applied with a careful hand. Her books seemed to weigh down her hands, and her back pack was conspicuously absent from her shoulders.

"Where's your back pack?" Danny asked, quickly taking the books from her hands and walking them over to her desk.

The Goth's demeanor immediately darkened, her happy face turning angry and her smirk becoming a big frown. "You don't want to know."

The solemnity and despair in her usually happy tone caught Tucker's attention. He sidled up beside her, tossing an arm over her shoulder. "And what has turned our happy Sam into a sad one?"

Sam turned to him and scowled, shrugging out of his grasp. She backed up slightly and boosted herself up on her desk, knocking Danny off. He gave her a look but she only smiled. "My aunt and uncle are in town with their prissy little daughter." Sam pulled a face.

"Daughter?" Tucker brightened instantly, the question in his eyes replaced with a childish desire. "What does she look like? How old is she? What type of guy—"

Danny slapped a hand over Tucker's mouth, smiling sheepishly at Sam. "Ignoring him…what's so bad about that? And what does that have to do with your back pack?"

Sam laughed as Tucker twisted out of Danny's hold, glaring furiously and wiping his hand over his mouth. "Well, you see, I haven't actually seen them since I was little. My parents have, but you know how they are: always wanting such a nice and kind daughter. Anyway, because of that my mom and dad failed to mention my…interests; namely me being Goth.

"So, they told me that if I act like a good daughter and dressed like I should, at least while I'm at home, while they're here then I'll get a whole two months of no knit-picking about this and that." Sam made little motions in the air with her hands.

"And this means, no spider back pack?" Danny asked slowly, trying to make the connection.

Sam nodded. "Spiders are scary, Danny, in case you haven't noticed. Well, they are to most people."

"But not us ghost fighters!" Tucker piped up from her perch on his desk. "We aren't scared of nothing!"

"It's anything, Tucker." Sam corrected, scooting off of her desk and into her chair. "We aren't scared of anything."

More students began to file into the classroom, taking their seats beside their friends and opening up their books, grabbing their homework from their bags. Most began to switch off papers, comparing answers or copying from their friends because they hadn't done theirs.

Sam looked on with a watchful and exasperated gaze. As students traded their papers and typed one or two last text messages to their friends in other rooms, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was very wrong. Everything seemed in place; the jocks in the very back, the geeks in the front rows, and she along with her friends in the middle one. Mr. Lancer would waltz in any moment like he always did and begin to go over the last night's homework with that hopeful feeling that someone actually cared.

Sam had never been a very intuitive person. She relied on facts and evidence to help her come by her conclusions, not gossip and rumors; and most certainly not gut feelings. But when she'd woken up that morning, to the bright glare of her Aunt Gloria's white teeth, she'd had a feeling in the pit of her stomach, something that she'd hoped to shake off, but hadn't been able to.

And then when she'd walked in on Tucker and Danny talking about something that "wasn't so bad" even though it probably was, she'd felt that feeling again, that churning in her stomach that told her something bad was going on or would soon happen. She was tempted to ask them what hadn't been so bad but they were off in their own conversation, something about video games.

It was then that Mr. Lancer walked in, books and test papers in hand. As he made his way to the front of the classroom, the noise began to die down. Students took their seats; cell phones were put safely into purses or pockets, and all talking ceased. Sam slumped down lower in her chair, pulling out her note pad and a pencil to write with, and turned her focus to the board as Mr. Lancer began to speak.

"Now, about last night's homework." Mr. Lancer began, pulling some papers from a three-ring binder. "I trust that you all read through chapter four in _Lord of the Flies_ and answered…"

**~DP~DP~DP~**

Lunch came relatively quickly that day. As soon as the fourth period bell chimed throughout the hallways, students rushed from the classrooms, to their lockers, and back into the cafeteria, most likely hoping to get a spot at the front of the line. The menu posted on the entrance door to the building said that today's main course was Chicken Noodle Soup, which actually tasted pretty good.

Sam, Danny, and Tucker were some of the lucky few who got their early enough to grab the food while it was still warm. Sam, of course, had passed up the soup in favor of an apple salad that she'd brought from home that day. Tucker and Danny didn't care in the least bit, and they dug into their food with their usual fervor as soon as their butts hit the chair.

Dash Baxter was absent that day, an unusual circumstance, and so the lunch room had a happier, lighter feeling. Most of the geeks and nerds still chose tables as far away from the A-List as possible, most likely from habit; and from the revelation that the number one bully would surely be back the next day. The popular kids still sent mean looks at everyone besides their friends, but no one acted without Dash Baxter's approval.

Sam took a bite of her salad, chewing thoughtfully. She was again tempted to ask what Danny and Tucker had been talking about earlier, but wasn't sure if it was worth it. It couldn't be anything too bad or dangerous because she and Tucker had detention that afternoon, and Danny would never do anything stupid without them.

Still, her curious nature got the best of her and after five minutes of small talk, she cracked. "So, what were you two talking about this morning?"

Both boys turned to face her, turned to face each other, and then both began speaking very rapidly at the same time.

"Danny has this dumb—"

"It isn't dumb! Tucker just—"

"It is dumb! Suicide even! Sam, this idea is so—"

""Don't listen to Tucker. He's high off—"

"Oh, now _I'm_high? What about you? I'm not the one with the stupid idea to—"

"Don't even say it, Tucker! You'll make everything seem worse than it is!"

"It _is_!"

"Cut it _out_!" Sam, who was already irritated on account of the verbal onslaught that her Aunt Gloria had released on her this morning, shouted loudly, attracting many heads that turned in their direction. Donny seemed embarrassed. Tucker didn't. "Why don't you tell me what's going on, one at a time. And Danny first, because this was apparently his idea."

"Hey!"

"Can it, Tucker!"

It took a few seconds for the irritation to die down, and just a few seconds longer than that for Tucker and Sam to stop glaring at each other. Once everything had calmed down, Danny spoke, his hand traveling to the back of his neck, which he rubbed nervously. "Well, since you and Tucker are stuck in detention this afternoon—"

"On account of you!"

"Shut _up_, Tucker!"

A small smile made its way to Danny's lips. He gave it a moment before continuing. "Anyway, I was thinking that I should go and do a solo exploration mission of the Ghost Zone. I mean, it can't be just as small as what we've mapped out, and it would be easier for me to do it alone and not have to worry about you guys lagging behind in the Specter Speeder. No offense."

There were a few moments of silence as Sam mulled over her words. Tucker had taken up some game on his PDA, and Danny was looking at her, his eyes mirroring a hopeful expression. The sounds of the other students reached Sam's ears; the clang and clash of silverware, the talking and joking, the angry drawl of the lunch lady as she turned down students who dared to go and ask for seconds.

Again, that feeling of dread began to crawl in Sam's stomach, churning around the bit of her salad that she'd already digested. It was worse this time, more foreboding, and Sam still didn't know what to make of it. But she wasn't so far gone as to realize that this feeling had only come up today, and only when Danny and Tucker talked about going into the Ghost Zone, something Danny was all for, and something that Tucker was completely against.

Surely, if she listened to her gut, it wouldn't lead her wrong. Danny followed his all the time and he was still okay. Finally, Sam turned back to Danny and shook her head, hating the way his eyes dulled in color. "I'm not sure that's a very good idea, Danny. What do you need to know about the Ghost Zone that you already don't?"

Danny shrugged, pointedly ignoring the smug look on Tucker's face, which was wiped away just as soon as Sam rounded on him. "Nothing, I guess. Just curiosity."

But his eyes said something more, and Sam knew that Danny could tell that she saw it. Still, she didn't press it, knowing that he'd tell her eventually, probably when Tucker wasn't around. That was how it worked with them. Sidelong glances, a raise of the eyebrows, even a turn of the lips. It was a language all of their own, made by them, for them.

He'd tell her, she was sure, because they were sturdy.

**~DP~DP~DP~**

_**And, here's the official first chapter! I didn't get all the reviews I asked for, but that's okay. The ones that I did get, I appreciate very much! So thank you to all of those who reviewed!**_

_**Things officially get started this chapter. I'm so happy to be bringing this story back. I have a lot of plans for it. So, if you liked, please review! I don't write for them, but they do help me update faster. :) **_

**Next Chapter: Journey- As Sam and Tucker are stuck in detention, Danny explores the Ghost Zone.**


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